As LeBron James gets set to play in his record 23rd NBA season, the 21-time all-star may be a lot less present for training camp than fans are used to seeing.

After the soon-to-be 41-year-old missed the first Los Angeles Lakers practice of the season Tuesday, head coach J.J. Redick explained that James will probably have a longer ramp-up period than usual to get ready for Opening Night. His words lined up with reporting by ESPN's Dave McMenamin that the Lakers and James' camp agreed to be overly-cautious with James at this point in the year, so that he's at his healthiest later in the season.

"The Lakers have six preseason games. He only played in three last year, and I was told that maybe he overdid it last year leading into the season when he wore out come December," McMenamin said. That sounds as though James is aiming to play less in the preseason, which obviously includes the possibility of him not playing at all. Especially if three games was too much.

At the very least, James will be limited throughout training camp and the preseason.

"He’s obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body and he’s dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute," Redick said. “So, we’re playing the long game with LeBron.”

The Lakers' first preseason game is Friday against the Phoenix Suns.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why LeBron James may not play for Lakers during preseason

Reporting by Prince J. Grimes, For The Win / For The Win

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